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Looks Can Kill: A Doctor's Journey Through Steroids, Addiction and Online Fitness Culture
A leader in sports medicine reveals the prevalence of anabolic steroids and appearance-enhancing drugs for recreational use, and explodes the myths and silence around these dangerous drugs of choice for the Instagram era.
From fitspiration vlogs touting fit as the new skinny to magazines imploring men to get shredded and massive in the gym, fitness stars and elevated body-image standards are driving a burgeoning industry meant, ostensibly, to make us all more healthy. But are those images of rippling abs, bulging shoulders and tiny waists truly inspiring good health? In this book, leading sports doctor (and former champion powerlifter) Riam Shammaa exposes the dirty secret of online fitness rampant steroid and drug use, not only amongst its Instagram stars and wellness gurus, but eagerly enjoined by millions seeking to emulate a new beauty ideal (and its myth, of being all-natural).
Never mind the high-profile cases of athletes Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong. Steroids and other pharmaceuticals are being sold and consumed in life-threatening quantities online and through the backrooms of gyms and fitness centres, and the people buying them range from teen girls trying to look good on Instagram to middle-aged men who can't say good-bye to their youthful physiques.
This is a vivid, eye-opening and compassionate journey alongside a young doctor as he discovers an underworld of misinformation and misdirected ambition, drug abuse and lives cut short for the glory of competition, pageantry or the mistaken belief that we need to be fantastically beautiful in order to be fit.
From fitspiration vlogs touting fit as the new skinny to magazines imploring men to get shredded and massive in the gym, fitness stars and elevated body-image standards are driving a burgeoning industry meant, ostensibly, to make us all more healthy. But are those images of rippling abs, bulging shoulders and tiny waists truly inspiring good health? In this book, leading sports doctor (and former champion powerlifter) Riam Shammaa exposes the dirty secret of online fitness rampant steroid and drug use, not only amongst its Instagram stars and wellness gurus, but eagerly enjoined by millions seeking to emulate a new beauty ideal (and its myth, of being all-natural).
Never mind the high-profile cases of athletes Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong. Steroids and other pharmaceuticals are being sold and consumed in life-threatening quantities online and through the backrooms of gyms and fitness centres, and the people buying them range from teen girls trying to look good on Instagram to middle-aged men who can't say good-bye to their youthful physiques.
This is a vivid, eye-opening and compassionate journey alongside a young doctor as he discovers an underworld of misinformation and misdirected ambition, drug abuse and lives cut short for the glory of competition, pageantry or the mistaken belief that we need to be fantastically beautiful in order to be fit.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published January 14, 2020
247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 24, 2021
Very good book! Full of scientific facts and personal stories from people who have struggled with steroid abuse.
April 11, 2021
Offers a broad perspective of steroid use in the fitness industry. I was expecting the book to provide more info on the science behind how the different compounds work. However, the book was mostly filled with real-world examples of steroid users and the harsh side effects/issues they faced.
Overall, nothing really stuck out.
Overall, nothing really stuck out.
June 21, 2020
Very interesting introduction to the science (bro science) into body building.
December 5, 2019
A look at the rise of steroid use, coupled with a mind boggling array of other black market drugs being employed for cosmetic, rather than performance enhancements. This is not about wannabe Lance Armstrongs taking EPO & Testosterone to go faster on a bike: it's about bodybuilders, Instagrammers and high school kids taking Winstrol, Dianabol, Clenbuterol, insulin, HGH and diuretics for the sake of a certain shredded, superhero look, and the medical consequences of those choices. Lest you think this is limited to a small fringe subset of gym rats, Shammaa (along with Patricia Pearson) also explores growing steroid use among first responders, including law enforcement personnel that have been charged for possession and distribution of these substances. A fascinating, quick read.
December 2, 2020
El autor es un médico del deporte que cuenta cómo ha descubierto la realidad detrás del mundo moderno del fitness, deporte y bodybuilding lleno de fármacos, falsos naturales, vigorexia y problemas psicológicos, modelos imposibles, negación de la genética, percepciones alteradas y marketing.
Menciona que sus estudios como médico no lo han preparado para todo eso, por ejemplo, el uso sin recetas de medicamentos en varios tipos de combinaciones para obtener un cierto físico, de la estrecha relación entre ciertos perfiles psicológicos y el desarrollo de obsesiones y abuso de fármacos dopantes. De la difusión de los fármacos incluso en la población general que no compite y a menudo sin resultados visibles.
El libro es muy interesante, aunque para los que están en este sector desde hace muchos años probablemente no revela nada nuevo, sino que lo confirma.
Para todos los que no conocen lo que hay detrás del mundo del fitness, podría ser algo revolucionario.
Un libro que podría evitar años y años de frustraciones, que os ahorrará sentimientos de inadecuación, sentido de culpabilidad, muchas estafas y dinero.
Podría incluso causar negación por parte de algunos, porque dice las cosas como son sin cortarse, tocando las debilidades de personas que preferirían morir antes que enfrentarse a la realidad.
Tal vez tiene alguna imprecisión obvia, sigue siendo un libro escrito para la población general, sin duda habrá quién irá buscando cualquier cosa para invalidar los argumentos expuestos.
Como siempre estarán los que aceptan la realidad y quién la niega a toda costa.
Menciona que sus estudios como médico no lo han preparado para todo eso, por ejemplo, el uso sin recetas de medicamentos en varios tipos de combinaciones para obtener un cierto físico, de la estrecha relación entre ciertos perfiles psicológicos y el desarrollo de obsesiones y abuso de fármacos dopantes. De la difusión de los fármacos incluso en la población general que no compite y a menudo sin resultados visibles.
El libro es muy interesante, aunque para los que están en este sector desde hace muchos años probablemente no revela nada nuevo, sino que lo confirma.
Para todos los que no conocen lo que hay detrás del mundo del fitness, podría ser algo revolucionario.
Un libro que podría evitar años y años de frustraciones, que os ahorrará sentimientos de inadecuación, sentido de culpabilidad, muchas estafas y dinero.
Podría incluso causar negación por parte de algunos, porque dice las cosas como son sin cortarse, tocando las debilidades de personas que preferirían morir antes que enfrentarse a la realidad.
Tal vez tiene alguna imprecisión obvia, sigue siendo un libro escrito para la población general, sin duda habrá quién irá buscando cualquier cosa para invalidar los argumentos expuestos.
Como siempre estarán los que aceptan la realidad y quién la niega a toda costa.
February 27, 2020
This book gave good insight into how social media has affected our thoughts on fitness and beauty and how there is a lot of steroid use and unhealthy habits contributing to this trend. I personally think the fitness trend is a healthy trend for our society to be in and I hope it continues, however, I do see the ugly hidden factors contributing to this issue. Social media is a strange tool and it can easily be used as a powerful platform for healthy influencing, or almost more easily for shame. There are so many "influencers" out there that promote healthy lifestyles. Many of them are actually healthy or professionally credentialled in some way to give health advice, many are not. You see so many people promoting all sorts of supplement products which they may or not be aware how healthful they actually are for their audience. There is also a lot of hidden steroid use that is done to achieve many of these sought-after physiques. I found this book extremely interesting and important to our modern, body obsessed society.
March 14, 2021
A much better book than I anticipated. An excellent dig into the world of fitness and steroid/drug abuse. The writer highlights very well how taking steroids (very often in huge dosages) is an integral part of the gym & Insta model culture. The ubiquity and key role of dangerous steroids that are the reason so many social media “ripped” models have the bodies they do.
Real insights into how steroid abuse and addiction (they are extended physical & psychologically addictive) are the most secret drug addictions in our culture. There is very little open talk about the extent of drug use in fitness culture. In responding to these unrealistic body images too many people think they can attain similar bodies through diet and exercise thus setting off potentially a whole range of physical and mental health issues. Get healthy properly and the body well follow.
Real insights into how steroid abuse and addiction (they are extended physical & psychologically addictive) are the most secret drug addictions in our culture. There is very little open talk about the extent of drug use in fitness culture. In responding to these unrealistic body images too many people think they can attain similar bodies through diet and exercise thus setting off potentially a whole range of physical and mental health issues. Get healthy properly and the body well follow.
February 26, 2020
I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads. I found it to be an eye-opener: I had no idea that AED (Appearance Enhancing Drug) use was so prevalent, and that the side-effects can be deadly. A physician friend advised me that she had seen young people requiring ventricular-assist devices while they waited for a heart transplant or recovery. The book is sympathetic to the pressures that drive people to resort to AED, and makes a clear case for pursuing health and acceptance of a variety of body shapes. It was a very fast read, and enjoyable.
April 12, 2020
probably a 3.5 for me
This journey through steroid and fitness culture was eyeopening and shocking! Written by an MD who sees patients who may or may not own up to their own use when in-office, this book is directed more towards other MD's who may not know the extent of use and risks. It is really sad to learn that due to drugs and extreme conditioning for fitness competitions, the day someone is on stage and looking their absolute best is the same day they are the most physically unhealthy (mainly from dehydration, but other causes too).
This journey through steroid and fitness culture was eyeopening and shocking! Written by an MD who sees patients who may or may not own up to their own use when in-office, this book is directed more towards other MD's who may not know the extent of use and risks. It is really sad to learn that due to drugs and extreme conditioning for fitness competitions, the day someone is on stage and looking their absolute best is the same day they are the most physically unhealthy (mainly from dehydration, but other causes too).
October 27, 2022
I've never read anything about male eating disorders, specifically in all of my non-fiction readings on fitness culture and beauty standards. This is a great book that fills that exact void and the author breaks down complicated medical and social concepts so well that anyone could follow it. Definitely would recommend it to all non-fiction readers!
April 19, 2020
I was pretty familiar with the bodybuilding scene as an exercise professional, but this book went to a much deeper level. I enjoyed the dive and definitely have a new understanding for the sports discussed the effect on cultural. I'd say it's well worth the read.
January 22, 2020
Looks Can Kill is a sobering cautionary tale about the use and abuse of anabolic steroids and appearance-enhancing drugs. Before reading this book I was woefully naive about how prevalent steroid use really is at every level of society from famous film stars and athletes to people in small gyms and even highschools. Before I continue, I should note that I listened to the audiobook so I am not in a position to evaluate the sources, footnotes, or references that may appear in the print version. My reading experience and review are based on the assumption that proper citations are in order.
I was very impressed by the accessible and readable narrative. I was expecting something filled with opaque terms and instead, I found a book that is clearly meant to be read widely and understood by people outside the medical profession. There is no patronizing jargon or "holier than thou" language that sometimes occurs when medical professionals publish books. Shammaa includes enough of his own experiences to ground the reader in the fitness world without succumbing to any kind of narcissistic or "know-it-all" attitude so prevalent in fitness culture. The tone throughout the book is clear, frank, and rational.
I found the repetition of "... current fitness model ideal of big muscles with ultra lean torso is virtually impossible to achieve without a chemical assist" both necessary and encouraging. Readers willing to heed Shammaa's advice can focus on realistic and healthy goals determined by body type rather than shooting for impossible standards that come with the risks of substance abuse.
While Looks Can Kill does speak to the pressure that women face to look a certain way, the focus of the book seems to be the experience of cisgender men. I would have preferred some acknowledgement of trans athletes and gym goers: those of us taking hormones to confirm our identities in our everyday world, not to gain an advantage in competition, but rather in a larger context of medically supported transition. Trans men only appear in this book as a measure against which female body builders' steroid use is compared. That said, I can imagine Shammaa might be open to such inclusion in future work since he is careful and considerate with language when discussing gender identity and the experiences of members of the LGBTQ community.
I believe this book should be required reading for anyone who works in a gym, works out in a gym, parents anyone interested in gym culture, and anyone with any connection to #fitspiration. I also believe this book should be required reading for doctors. I really respect the sensible and cogent way Shammaa lays out a plan for educating medical professionals and employing harm reduction techniques in caring for steroid users. He is clearly passionate about being a doctor. I respect the way he clearly articulates the need for doctors to be educators. Shammaa believes they have a responsibility to both patients and the larger community.
I am grateful to Libro.fm for the advanced review audio copy and I highly recommend this book. I will absolutely read it again.
I was very impressed by the accessible and readable narrative. I was expecting something filled with opaque terms and instead, I found a book that is clearly meant to be read widely and understood by people outside the medical profession. There is no patronizing jargon or "holier than thou" language that sometimes occurs when medical professionals publish books. Shammaa includes enough of his own experiences to ground the reader in the fitness world without succumbing to any kind of narcissistic or "know-it-all" attitude so prevalent in fitness culture. The tone throughout the book is clear, frank, and rational.
I found the repetition of "... current fitness model ideal of big muscles with ultra lean torso is virtually impossible to achieve without a chemical assist" both necessary and encouraging. Readers willing to heed Shammaa's advice can focus on realistic and healthy goals determined by body type rather than shooting for impossible standards that come with the risks of substance abuse.
While Looks Can Kill does speak to the pressure that women face to look a certain way, the focus of the book seems to be the experience of cisgender men. I would have preferred some acknowledgement of trans athletes and gym goers: those of us taking hormones to confirm our identities in our everyday world, not to gain an advantage in competition, but rather in a larger context of medically supported transition. Trans men only appear in this book as a measure against which female body builders' steroid use is compared. That said, I can imagine Shammaa might be open to such inclusion in future work since he is careful and considerate with language when discussing gender identity and the experiences of members of the LGBTQ community.
I believe this book should be required reading for anyone who works in a gym, works out in a gym, parents anyone interested in gym culture, and anyone with any connection to #fitspiration. I also believe this book should be required reading for doctors. I really respect the sensible and cogent way Shammaa lays out a plan for educating medical professionals and employing harm reduction techniques in caring for steroid users. He is clearly passionate about being a doctor. I respect the way he clearly articulates the need for doctors to be educators. Shammaa believes they have a responsibility to both patients and the larger community.
I am grateful to Libro.fm for the advanced review audio copy and I highly recommend this book. I will absolutely read it again.
February 4, 2020
Spooky stuff right here. Listening to the reader switch between voices and accents was a little comedic and didnt sit well for the overall tone of the book. Still very informative.
January 20, 2020
Interesting insights for a doctor who lifts weights himself. Super critical of fitness models and the fitness pageant industry.
Read
June 12, 2020I really appreciated that finally someone seems to acknowledge that we moved the BMI goal posts that make it sound like the Western world is in Obesity crisis! (Super pet peeve wtv)
I loved that Shammaa is a powerlifter and regular in the world of physical culture, I don't know that this book will convince anyone to stop taking aesthetic enhancing drugs like steroids if they are already deep in the culture. The bit about how bodybuilders make money by being steroid drug dealers could probably have used more sources. It's light accessible reading, if you're more interested in women's hormones and bodybuilding culture look up Victoria Felkar.
I loved that Shammaa is a powerlifter and regular in the world of physical culture, I don't know that this book will convince anyone to stop taking aesthetic enhancing drugs like steroids if they are already deep in the culture. The bit about how bodybuilders make money by being steroid drug dealers could probably have used more sources. It's light accessible reading, if you're more interested in women's hormones and bodybuilding culture look up Victoria Felkar.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews